1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to integrated air conditioners, and, more particularly, to an integrated air conditioner having a condenser casing which prevents noise from being generated, and prevents a condenser fan from being damaged or broken, due to contact between the condenser casing and the condenser fan.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, air conditioners are classified into two types, the two types being integrated air conditioners and separate-type air conditioners. In the integrated air conditioners, an evaporator, a condenser, and a compressor are installed in a cabinet. On the other hand, in the separate-type air conditioners, the evaporator is installed in an indoor unit, which is placed in a room, while the condenser and the compressor are installed in an outdoor unit, which is placed outside the room.
The cabinet of the integrated air conditioner is partitioned into a first interior chamber, which is placed in the room, and a second interior chamber, which is placed outside the room, by a partition which is vertically arranged in the cabinet. In this case, the evaporator is placed in the first interior chamber, while the condenser and the compressor are placed in the second interior chamber. Further, a cooling fan is placed in the first interior chamber to draw the indoor air into the cabinet and pass the indoor air through the evaporator to be cooled prior to discharging the cool air to the room. A condenser fan is placed in the second interior chamber to draw outdoor air into the cabinet and pass the outdoor air through both the condenser and the compressor prior to discharging the air to the outside, thus cooling the condenser and the compressor.
A condenser casing, which houses the condenser fan and the condenser therein, is also placed inside the second interior chamber. The condenser casing functions to guide air from the condenser fan through the condenser to the outside so that the condenser is effectively cooled.
A conventional condenser casing includes a front plate, two side plates, and an upper cover. The front plate, the two side plates, and the upper cover are integrally formed as a single structure to receive the condenser fan and the condenser in the condenser casing. The upper cover has a thin folding line part at a position which is spaced apart from the front plate by a predetermined distance. The upper cover is bent along the folding line part so that the condenser is installed under the upper cover having a predetermined length.
When the condenser casing having the front plate, the side plates, and the upper cover is prepared, a bending part of the upper cover, corresponding to a rear portion of the folding line part, stands upright to define an opening at a rear section of the upper cover between the two side plates in such a state, the condenser fan and the condenser are installed into the condenser casing, through the defined opening, between the two side plates. Thereafter, the bending part is bent downward and rearward until the bending part is placed horizontally, on a plane with the rest of the upper cover, and a rear end of the bending part is held on an upper surface of the condenser.
However, in the conventional condenser casing, the folding line part of the upper cover is continuously formed from a first side edge to a second side edge of the upper cover, and the condenser fan is installed under the folding line part. Thus, when the bending part of the upper cover is bent horizontally, and the rear end of the bending part is held on the condenser, after the condenser fan and the condenser are installed into the condenser casing through the opening defined between the two side plates, a residual stress in the structure of the upper cover may be generated and remain in the folding line part. Therefore, a portion around the folding line part is apt to sag.
Due to the sagging of the folding line part of the upper cover, the portion around the folding line part may come into contact with the condenser fan. When the condenser fan is rotated in such a state, noise is generated due to the contact between the condenser fan and the portion around the folding line part which sags. Cracks may also be generated in the condenser fan, resulting in damage or breakage of the condenser fan.